The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

BMW M4 common problems

What fails on the BMW M4 at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 13,534 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The BMW M4's most common MOT problems are tyres, coil springs, registration plates, recorded in 82.1%, 28.9% and 7.2% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (93.7%) and 2015 cars least (86.0%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every BMW M4 that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 13,534 cars.

By component

What wears out on a M4

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed BMW M4 tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Tyres

    82.1% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained40.3%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained18.5%
    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained12.4%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained6.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  2. 2.Coil springs

    28.9% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained28.9%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  3. 3.Registration plates

    7.2% of failed tests

    Plates fade, crack and delaminate; non-standard fonts and spacing fail regardless of condition.

    • “Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements” — explained7.2%

  4. 4.Wiper blades and washers

    5.4% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.6%
    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained1.5%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained1.3%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  5. 5.Suspension bushes

    5.3% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.3%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  6. 6.Catalytic converter and emissions

    5.2% of failed tests

    Catalysts degrade with age and misfires; a failed emissions reading is usually the catalyst, a lambda sensor or a tired engine.

    • “Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer” — explained2.6%
    • “Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits” — explained0.8%
    • “Emissions levels exceed default limits” — explained0.7%
    • “Emissions levels exceed default limits” — explained0.6%

  7. 7.Bulbs and lamps

    3.1% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained1.7%
    • “A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)” — explained0.5%
    • “Headlamp levelling device inoperative” — explained0.5%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained0.4%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  8. 8.Wheels and fixings

    2.7% of failed tests

    Rims crack or distort on potholes and kerbs; a missing or loose wheel nut is a fitting error rather than wear.

    • “A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud” — explained2.2%
    • “Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel” — explained0.5%

By registration year

M4 problems by year

MOT pass rate for BMW M4 cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2022, up 4.4 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201586%
201686%+0.0
201786%+0.0
201886%+0.0
201987%+0.4
202089%+2.8
202294%+4.4

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn M4 owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all BMW M4 tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the M4 file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a BMW M4?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 82.1% of failed tests), coil springs (recorded in 28.9% of failed tests), and registration plates (recorded in 7.2% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 13,534 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which BMW M4 year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, BMW M4 cars registered in 2022 do best at 93.7% and 2015 cars do worst at 86.0%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2022, up 4.4 points on 2021.
Is the BMW M4 reliable?
The BMW M4 passes 87.7% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used BMW M4?
Start with what fails most: tyres, coil springs, wiper blades and washers. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of